Have trouble making stuff for yourself?

[rich pierce]

I made 3 powder horns for myself in the late 1970's, which are best described as "functional but goofy 1970's buckskinner style".  Can you relate?  I also sold a half dozen horns in the 70's and early 80's and gifted a few more, before my 16 year, career-mandated exile from all things black powder.  Since coming back around 2004, I've also made and sold 4 or 5 horns that are better approximations of period horns.  But I'm still stuck with my old weird horns and have not made it a priority to make a decent horn for myself.

Finally this weekend I started a lobed end, extra large, translucent F&I War period horn for me.  About 17" on the outer curve, 3 and 3/8" at the butt end.  It would be even bigger but I cut 2" off as I didn't want to make an artilleryhorn out of it.

Just wondering if any of you have trouble making or keeping stuff for yourself, to the detriment of your kit.

[Beaverman]

Rich, I've made 67 pouches in the last 5 years and I'm still shooting out of an old October country bag, made one for myself a couple years ago, first time out a friend from Canuckastan bugs me all weekend to buy it, gave him a price figuring he'd leave me alone about it and buys it off my shoulder, shouldn't have sold it! ya know what they say about the cobblers kids!

[T.C.Albert]

Yes....definately yes..."keeping it" that is, not so much making it...like Beaverman, I make lots of stuff...but its gone when I get it done or soon after...Im not complaining, but since I sold my personal bag and horn set, at this moment I dont even own one of my own working sets anymore...but Im working on it..
TCA  

[Ken G]

The last time I went deer hunting it was with a Cabela's Hawkin because I had sold my deer gun.   A .54 cal Lancaster style.  Probably be the only lancaster style rifle I ever build too.
ken

[BrownBear]

Reminds me of the shipwright who built our cabinets for us.  Made the mistake of having his wife along when he showed up for payment after the job.  She took one look and threw a hissy fit, a full-fledged 4-star tantrum.  Turns out she had been after him for 20 years to build some for her, but he kept telling her he didn't know how, didn't have time, didn't have the right wood, didn't have the right hardware, etc, etc, etc.  Whoooeeee! Was he ever in deep doodoo!

Same principle.  If it's worth a hoot, someone is going to want it.

[Mark Elliott]

I haven't been able to keep anything for myself thus far.   They always end up getting sold.   I now have two good bag and horn outfits for myself.  We will see if I remain in possession.    I also have two guns a plan I make for myself, but they are not finished yet.

Mark

[tallbear]

I have the same problem.John Getz and I were talking last week and he asked me if I was still selling  the Shenandoah Rifle that had at the show in February.I said no I was keeping it as I needed a hunting rifle for myself.He said what if I was offered $X000.00 for it.I said I would be hunting with my sons flintlock  this fall    We'll see how long I keep it,least I'm shooting it a bunch.

Mitch

[westerner]

I buy a lot of stuff and dont use it. I'm real good at buying stuff. I make a lot of stuff and dont use it either. Sometimes I find stuff I made many years ago. Then I wonder why I made it. I still have a patch knife I made when I was fourteen. I never used it. It's cool. 


                Joe.   

[Habu]

I made a couple dozen powder horns before managing to keep one for myself for very long.  The trick was to rough shape it, scrape it, and carve my name on it.  Then I finished it. 

Can't believe I still have it after 21 years.

[Don Getz]

I still have the first three rifles I ever built.    I was fortunate in being able to buy back a rifle I built in the late 80"s, that
little 60 cal. english sporting rifle.   Am now finishing up No. 84 for "bevel up", and have three more that I should be working on right now.   When I retired I was looking forward to gunbuilding again, but I didn't really want it to become a
business.  I'll probably die with orders on the books...............Don

[Birddog6]

I did the same thing, sold them as fast as I can make them.  Every one was Just For Me this time, and I would price it so nobody would buy it, dang if  2 fools didn't meet again...     I can still hear  Ken Guy laughing at me when he gets to my deer camp & I pull out a CVA Big Bore Mtn. Rifle to hunt with, cause someone bought my deer hunting rifle right at deer season.    I always figured I could make one for me anytime......  now i am running out of anytimes..........   .   

It has never bothered me to have kept those first few rifles.......  or powder horns or knives.  Each time I build one I try to do it better, and never had any desire to keep the ones I learned on,  if I am going to keep one, it will be the Best one,  but I seldom do. I do have a couple of them I am saying are 'not for sale", well, til 2 fools meet again........      I did buy back a rifle i built in 2003, as it was one I wished I had not sold & it was just by chance. I sold the rifle on TOW and never knew where it went,  it changed hands 3-4 times & the last owner bought it & decided he didn't like flintlocks & wanted a percussion. So he contacted me & I bought it back......      I have sold ? 3 knives I should have kept. Not that they were elaborate or anything like that, I just look back now & wish I had kept those three & cannot duplicate them.

[Pete G.]

The trouble is that once you sell something, a part of you is gone. The only thing you have left is the money, which is soon gone also. The flip side is that if you save the things you make, you get better as you go along and by the time you are ready to sell the earlier things you are embarrassed to. The bottom line is that I can't sell things. I either end up giving them away or trying to sell at a very low price to recover some of the cost

[northmn]

That is one of the things that burned me out and caused me to leave the sport for a few years.  didn't get back into it until recently.  Now I only make for myself.  really got where I could not meet a decent deadline for a rifle.  Even now I take a long time to make anything.  Sold a 12 bore musket I made and I wish I had kept.  Guy I sold it to sold it and is trying to buy it back.  Funny thing about powder horns and bags.  Had the patience to build a firearm but none for building bags and horns.  Had a friend who recently died that scrimshawhed and made horns.  Still have a couple of horns left. Want to make a horn for a squirrel rig like is posted on another thread.

DP

[John Proud]

Rich,

Sound like a lot of us have had similar experiences. For a long time (6 years?) I made horns and sold them off to the point of loading out of the can. Finally it got kind of embarassing to be loading out of a can and have someone approach to ask me to make a horn and want to see one. Finally I made one and engraved my name, the date and the town I them lived in. No one has asked me to sell it, happily, as I am very attached to it after 18 years. However, it is the only horn I own. Ones I have won awards with I gift to my wife and tell people to talk to her about them. She hasn't parted with one yet!  John